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emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book*
5 “BEAR DOWN” Stars
You know those books, the ones where you read the prologue and that’s it, you’re hooked? Well, that’s exactly what happened with The Wrong Game. It captivated me right from the start and I knew without a doubt I was in for an unforgettable journey. And this book was exactly what I needed. It’s like Kandi spoke to my football loving heart. And the fact that she also wrote about my favorite NFL team, Da Bears, well that was just another layer of icing on the cake. I LOVED this book, I loved this book so hard. It was lighter on the angst side, but furthermore it still did in fact have just enough of Kandi’s signature angst-y goodness. The characters in this book were some of my favorite characters Kandi has written. And OMFG, Zach Bowen most certainly stole the show for me. *sigh* All I want to do now is go back and re-read this AH-MAZ-ING book all over again and get lost in all its beauty.
Gemma was a woman that I felt for. Honestly if I were in Gemma’s shoes I don’t know how I would react at what she found out. I think I’d want them to hurt as much as me. For them to feel all the pain I was enduring. But then again I can’t say that in all it’s certainty because quite frankly, I’m not 100% sure if that’s what I’d want. And I commend Gemma for her selflessness because it takes a person with a big heart like hers to do what was extremely hard for her to do. And even though she's meticulous and makes lists, she did not see this coming, and she most definitely did not see Zach Bowen coming either.
Zach Bowen gets all the freaking stars! This man was every bit charming and selfless. He's had his own share of heartache, but he's taken that and grown from it. He is such a good guy. The way he loves his family and especially his younger brother and would do anything and everything for them makes him even more of an amazing man. I loved him, my gosh did I love him. If every man can have just an ounce of Zach in them, the world would be a better place.
Gemma and Zach were meant to be. They needed each other, both needing to learn from the other. Needing to trust and give trust in return. Trusting if they were to fall, the other person would be there to pick them up. Reading Gemma and Zach's love story brought all the smiles. Their witty banter bringing the laughs. Their bumps in the road bringing the nail biting and heart beating faster than usual. I couldn't get enough of these two. I loved them, and wanted more, so much more.
Kandi, what can I say? I freaking love you! Each and every book you release just gets better and better. How do you do it? I don't know, but don't stop, ever! The Wrong Game is the perfect fall book. Honestly, taking one of my loves, football, and writing a fan-freakin-tastic book revolving around it, hashtag winning! And the fact that you not only had the Bears beating those cheeseheads not once, but twice? You girl are the real MVP! I don't care if it's fiction, anytime GB loses is great in my book. Oh, and then you mentioning my Cubs, my favorite baseball team, you're just making my heart happy. Again, you've outdone yourself. Yet another book to add to my favorites list.
5 “BEAR DOWN” Stars
You know those books, the ones where you read the prologue and that’s it, you’re hooked? Well, that’s exactly what happened with The Wrong Game. It captivated me right from the start and I knew without a doubt I was in for an unforgettable journey. And this book was exactly what I needed. It’s like Kandi spoke to my football loving heart. And the fact that she also wrote about my favorite NFL team, Da Bears, well that was just another layer of icing on the cake. I LOVED this book, I loved this book so hard. It was lighter on the angst side, but furthermore it still did in fact have just enough of Kandi’s signature angst-y goodness. The characters in this book were some of my favorite characters Kandi has written. And OMFG, Zach Bowen most certainly stole the show for me. *sigh* All I want to do now is go back and re-read this AH-MAZ-ING book all over again and get lost in all its beauty.
Gemma was a woman that I felt for. Honestly if I were in Gemma’s shoes I don’t know how I would react at what she found out. I think I’d want them to hurt as much as me. For them to feel all the pain I was enduring. But then again I can’t say that in all it’s certainty because quite frankly, I’m not 100% sure if that’s what I’d want. And I commend Gemma for her selflessness because it takes a person with a big heart like hers to do what was extremely hard for her to do. And even though she's meticulous and makes lists, she did not see this coming, and she most definitely did not see Zach Bowen coming either.
Zach Bowen gets all the freaking stars! This man was every bit charming and selfless. He's had his own share of heartache, but he's taken that and grown from it. He is such a good guy. The way he loves his family and especially his younger brother and would do anything and everything for them makes him even more of an amazing man. I loved him, my gosh did I love him. If every man can have just an ounce of Zach in them, the world would be a better place.
Gemma and Zach were meant to be. They needed each other, both needing to learn from the other. Needing to trust and give trust in return. Trusting if they were to fall, the other person would be there to pick them up. Reading Gemma and Zach's love story brought all the smiles. Their witty banter bringing the laughs. Their bumps in the road bringing the nail biting and heart beating faster than usual. I couldn't get enough of these two. I loved them, and wanted more, so much more.
Kandi, what can I say? I freaking love you! Each and every book you release just gets better and better. How do you do it? I don't know, but don't stop, ever! The Wrong Game is the perfect fall book. Honestly, taking one of my loves, football, and writing a fan-freakin-tastic book revolving around it, hashtag winning! And the fact that you not only had the Bears beating those cheeseheads not once, but twice? You girl are the real MVP! I don't care if it's fiction, anytime GB loses is great in my book. Oh, and then you mentioning my Cubs, my favorite baseball team, you're just making my heart happy. Again, you've outdone yourself. Yet another book to add to my favorites list.
I’m officially dubbing Kandi Steiner an emotional-wringer. I mean, this is something I’ve known since A Love Letter to Whiskey, but I’m putting it in writing now.
The Wrong Game started out with a sledgehammer to the heart. Gemma experiences one of the ultimate betrayals, lumped together with a scenario I couldn’t even imagine. She was a saint in that prologue, and my heart broke for her for so many reasons.
"I made one simple plan, with one simple rule. Never fall in love again. It was more than just a plan, more than just a goal. It was a promise. And it was one I vowed to keep."
Gemma’s a strong-willed, resilient woman. I could understand, even appreciate where she came from with her plan, but she also frustrated me. Frustrated me to the verge of chucking my new kindle across the room. It’s been awhile since I’ve experienced frustration in a character like this, it’s the type only Kandi Steiner seems to bring out with her words. However, there were plenty of moments I was rooting, desperately hoping for her to open her heart again.
"It was as if those eyes knew me, like we were playing a game and he was three moves ahead."
Hello, Zach Bowen! This dreamy, heartthrob of a character was my favorite element mixed into this crazy game. I’m going to use the word “saint” again, because this guy was a saint for so many other reasons—and you’ll understand if you’ve read it, or once you do. Also, the swoon this guy emitted off the pages was some next level stuff. He was a romantic at heart, and I’m going to leave it at: I loved him, couldn’t get enough of him, everyone needs to meet him! He’s the reason my kindle survives to live another day.
“I had surrendered to my feelings for him, backing down on a plan I was so hell bent on sticking with. And now, I was no longer in control.
That both excited and terrified me.”
During those delicate moments Gemma surrendered to Zach, my heart soared with joy for both. They were two characters that live with heart break stemming from past situations but are so deserving of all the happiness in the world. They were good for each other, meant for each other. And the Hail Mary’s they both threw in this game were so worth the chaotic ride.
The Wrong Game is brilliant, heart pounding, classic-Steiner-angst, and everything that this sports romance reader loves!
The Wrong Game started out with a sledgehammer to the heart. Gemma experiences one of the ultimate betrayals, lumped together with a scenario I couldn’t even imagine. She was a saint in that prologue, and my heart broke for her for so many reasons.
"I made one simple plan, with one simple rule. Never fall in love again. It was more than just a plan, more than just a goal. It was a promise. And it was one I vowed to keep."
Gemma’s a strong-willed, resilient woman. I could understand, even appreciate where she came from with her plan, but she also frustrated me. Frustrated me to the verge of chucking my new kindle across the room. It’s been awhile since I’ve experienced frustration in a character like this, it’s the type only Kandi Steiner seems to bring out with her words. However, there were plenty of moments I was rooting, desperately hoping for her to open her heart again.
"It was as if those eyes knew me, like we were playing a game and he was three moves ahead."
Hello, Zach Bowen! This dreamy, heartthrob of a character was my favorite element mixed into this crazy game. I’m going to use the word “saint” again, because this guy was a saint for so many other reasons—and you’ll understand if you’ve read it, or once you do. Also, the swoon this guy emitted off the pages was some next level stuff. He was a romantic at heart, and I’m going to leave it at: I loved him, couldn’t get enough of him, everyone needs to meet him! He’s the reason my kindle survives to live another day.
“I had surrendered to my feelings for him, backing down on a plan I was so hell bent on sticking with. And now, I was no longer in control.
That both excited and terrified me.”
During those delicate moments Gemma surrendered to Zach, my heart soared with joy for both. They were two characters that live with heart break stemming from past situations but are so deserving of all the happiness in the world. They were good for each other, meant for each other. And the Hail Mary’s they both threw in this game were so worth the chaotic ride.
The Wrong Game is brilliant, heart pounding, classic-Steiner-angst, and everything that this sports romance reader loves!
This book was a 3.5 star for me. I enjoyed it and loved Kandi's writing style. I am just not much of a sports fan so that aspect was lost on me. I am excited to read more of Kandi's work. I own several of her books, I just need to carve out the time to read them. As many of you know a lot of her work is very angsty and I have to mentally prepare myself for those types of books OR I will quickly fall into a major reading slump once it is over. My next Kandi book is going to be A Love Letter to Whiskey. It has been on my TBR the longest. I own both the e-book and the audible book.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book off BookTok and was intriguing by the story line. I really wanted to like it but sadly I could not get into this book. It took me forever to read. I liked it but couldn’t stop putting it down and getting distracted very easily. Gemma also began to irritate me about half way through with the constant cycle of not trusting him, then trusting, being happy, then freaking out and running. Overall just wasn’t my cup of tea.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes